CEMEX PLAN OK'D BY JUDGE CITY SOUGHT TO BLOCK MINING.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES - A federal judge determined Monday that the analysis of the traffic that would be created by a massive sand and gravel mine in Soledad Canyon is adequate and does not need to be reviewed again by Los Angeles County officials or the public.

The tentative ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Dickran Tevrizian upheld the central complaint made by mining company Cemex Inc. in its lawsuit against the county, and could pave the way for the massive mine to be built over the objections of the city of Santa Clarita and some county officials.

``To do another (traffic study) would benefit the county for dragging its heels and reward the county for putting up all these roadblocks,'' Tevrizian said.

Cemex's suit claims that county officials inappropriately used the years- long environmental review process as a tool to delay and interfere with the federal government's approval of the immense quarry just north of Santa Clarita.

Tevrizian found that any further analysis of the effect of 700 daily truck trips to and from the mine on Soledad Canyon Road by the county or the public was precluded by federal law.

The Bureau of Land Management owns the rights to the 460 acres of sand and gravel south of the Antelope Valley Freeway between Soledad Canyon and Agua Dulce Canyon roads that is slated to be mined.

City officials and 5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich contend that the mine would have a devastating impact on the north Los Angeles County area by polluting the air, jamming area roads and freeways with truck traffic and threatening the Santa Clarita Valley's water supply.

Santa Clarita has spent more than $2 million to block the mine.

``We're outraged by this ruling,'' said Santa Clarita Planning Director Jeff Lambert. ``It is clear that this judge has prejudged this case. This community is not going to stand for that.''

Dozens of mitigation measures attached to the project would protect the environment, while most residents won't even know the mine is operating, according to Cemex.

Company spokesman Brian Mastin declined to comment on the ruling, citing an order from Tevrizian not to discuss the settlement negotiations.

According to court records, the issue regarding the traffic study is the last remaining hurdle in negotiations between the county and Cemex. Discussions are expected to resume in the next several weeks, attorneys for both sides said.

In April, the Board of Supervisors approved a settlement regarding the quarry's size and scope, according to court records.

While the terms of that agreement have not been disclosed, it is extremely unlikely that Cemex would agree to significantly reduce the amount of aggregate to be mined, officials said.

The fight over the mine began more than a decade ago, when the federal government awarded two 10-year contracts to Transit Mixed Concrete to mine the rich aggregate deposits in Canyon Country in return for royalty payments of $28 million. Azusa-based TMC was later purchased by Cemex, a Mexican firm.

Heather MacDonald, [phone]

heather.macdonald(at)dailynews.com